The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh yesterday formally requested India to withdraw its export ban on essential commodities, including rice, pulse and onion. The request was made on the fifth meeting of Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group (JWG) that began in Dhaka yesterday.

The JWG meeting will discuss issues, including removal of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers to trade between the two countries.

Senior trade officials from the two countries will also deliberate on issues relating to trade facilitation and infrastructure, and

recommendations by the two apex trade bodies--FBCCI and FICCI--during the meeting that began at the Commerce Ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.

"We requested the Indian delegation to remove the ban on export of some essential commodities imported to Bangladesh," a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce who attended the meeting told The New Nation yesterday.

Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce made the same request to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka urging to take necessary steps to remove the ban on export of rice, pulse and onion.

The official said Bangladesh would discuss the issues of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, customs, ports and border trade with India at the JWG meeting to augment bilateral trade between the two countries.

Commerce Ministry sources said India has banned exporting rice to Bangladesh market since October 10 last, onion from about a month ago and pulse since 2006 'temporarily' on the ground of increased domestic demand.

Such ban created an abrupt shortfall in supply of such items resulting in price hike as the local importers are largely dependent on India to import essentials due to geographical proximity.

Currently rice is being sold at Tk 26 and above per kg, pulse over Tk 75 per kg and onion over Tk 60 per kg witnessing 40 per cent to 100 per cent rise in their prices during the span of last couple of months.

Regarding the imposition of export ban of essential commodities, an official said, "Any country can impose ban on export of essential commodities to other countries as per the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations as the global trade watchdog has relaxed the statutes over trade of agro-products."

But before imposing such a ban, the exporting country must have to notify the importing country on the products which would be banned for export, he said.

'Before imposing ban on export of rice, pulse and onion to Bangladesh, India did not notify it,' the official further said.

Sources at the Ministry of Commerce said Bangladesh would urge its Indian counterpart to remove non-tariff barriers on the Bangladeshi products like nuts, Jamdani sarees and toiletries products.

Bangladesh will also seek entry of its trucks inside Indian territory in the border area to facilitate bilateral trade.

Currently Indian trucks can enter half-a-kilometer into Bangladeshi territory from the border.

It will also seek improvement of land port facilities on the Indian side at Benapole and Banglabanda land ports.

Bangladesh has already improved the land port facilities at both these land ports.

The joint trade group will also take stock of the progress of initiatives taken so far to facilitate trade between the two countries.

Bangladesh Commerce Ministry joint secretary Abdul Wahab Mian and Indian Commerce Ministry joint secretary Rajeev Kher are leading their respective sides at the meeting, which is a continuation of joint efforts to address bilateral trade issues.

The last meeting of the group was held in Agartala in July last year.

During the deliberations on trade barriers, India will put forward nine technical barriers to trade, including ban on export of cotton yarn, milk powder, rice and sugar from India through land route.

Bangladesh listed 14 issues of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers for discussion with its counterpart, including ban on export of pulse, onion and rice from India.